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Keeley’s Fight Like A Girl Story ( Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome)

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May
22
2013
Keeley's Story (polycystic ovarian syndrome)LR

In the fall of 2011, I started having frequent pain in my lower abdomen. The only way I could explain the positioning was to put my hands all the way into my pockets and and to say the pain was where my finger tips were. Finally the pain was so severe, I went to my local ER. The doctor was not very thorough and pushed on my belly once and ran a pregnancy test. He told me that I probably had a cyst on my ovary and it would go away on its own. I followed up with a new primary care doctor and she ordered several tests and determined I have polycystic ovarian syndrome. Upon receiving my diagnosis of PCOS, all I could think was ’What does that even mean?’ I’ve always had irregular periods, if I had one at all. I’ve always been on the heavier side, and tried EVERY diet and exercise regimen and pill you can think of with little or no result. I recently have noticed more fatigue and a few granny whiskers on my chin. When I got home and researched polycystic ovarian syndrome, I … [Read more...]

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Alexandra’s Fight Like A Girl Story (SLE Lupus)

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May
22
2013
Alexandra's Story (SLE Lupus)LR

I have a disease called SLE Lupus. Lupus is an autoimmune disease that can affect the skin, your joints, your kidneys, and your other organs. I was diagnosed in March of 2011 when I was only 19 years old. I was away at school my 1st year at college and I was having a lot of pain in my wrists. The doctors ran a bunch of tests and couldn’t figure out what was wrong. It was a Thursday afternoon when I got a call from my doctor. It was a call that I was relieved but also terrified to get. The doctor told me that I had SLE Lupus and that’s all she said. I knew a little bit about lupus but not a lot. Being away at school and two a half hours away from my parents made me feel like I was all alone. I called my mom right away and told her what the doctor had said, she told me to relax and that it would all be okay. It was hard for me to comprehend what I had just been told. My friends were really supportive, but I wasn’t ready to deal with it. For about a month I refused to talk … [Read more...]

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Michelle’s Fight Like A Girl Story (Endometrial Cancer and Lung Cancer)

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May
22
2013
Michelle's Story (endometriosis)LR

I had been having female problems for the last 4 plus years. I thought I was pregnant at the age of 40 for the first time because I had not had a period for two months. I took a pregnancy test, and two day later started my period. It lasted for 4 weeks. So I finally went to see a gynecologist. This is the family history that I gave her; Father’s Side: Father died, T-Cell Lymphoma / Grandfather died, brain cancer Mother’s Side: Grandmother died, ovarian cancer/ Great Aunt died ovarian cancer / Great Aunt died ovarian cancer / Mother’s first cousin survivor ovarian cancer / Great Aunt Breast Cancer Survivor. She performed a pap and she said that one of my ovaries felt funny and sent me in for blood work and an ultrasound on my ovaries. The pap showed nothing unusual. The ultrasound showed that I had a cyst on one of my ovaries and she said the blood work had nothing abnormal. For the next 3.5 years I continued to go to this doctor with the same complaints but the periods … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Endometriosis Stories Tagged With: , ,

Freda’s Fight Like A Girl Story (Diabetes)

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May
22
2013
Freda's Story (diabetes)LR

Hi, my name is Freda. I'm 43 years old and a mother of 3; an 8 year old boy, girl twins, and an 11 year old boy. I’m a diabetic. I'm learning new things, like how to eat and take care of myself. It isn't easy. I have seen this website and I'm going to fight like a girl! I will learn how to be strong and one tough cookie. I have decided to start hosting fundraisers because of this website. It gave me hope that I could help. Freda Submitted 8-22-2012 The informational content of this article is intended to convey a personal experience and, because every person’s experience is unique, should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional healthcare advice. … [Read more...]

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Jamie’s Fight Like A Girl Story (Breast Cancer)

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May
22
2013
Jamie's Story (Breast Cancer)LR

I am 30 years old. I am a mom, wife, daughter, friend, and much more. When I was 27, I felt a large lump in my right breast and a smaller lump in my left breast. I was concerned and limited with the insurance I had at the time, but I did see a doctor who sent me for an ultrasound. The radiologist said it was dense tissue and I didn’t need to come back. Three years later the lumps are still there and the one in the right breast has gotten much larger. My husband got insurance through his job and I decided to be safe and get it checked again. This is when our lives forever changed. I saw my primary care physician, who immediately sent me for an ultrasound and got me a next day appointment with a surgeon that was booked out for a month. The next day at the surgeon’s office, she right away felt this was cancer and performed a biopsy and mammogram. After a very long weekend, we got the news that it was indeed cancer. I was then sent for a bone scan, MRI, CT scan, genetic testing … [Read more...]

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Brittany’s Fight Like A Girl Story (Chiari Malformation)

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May
22
2013
Brittany's Story (Chiari)LR

My name is Brittany and I’m 24 years old. Since 2007, I have had four brain surgeries; my most recent two being this year in February. I spent most of my life with health problems that the doctors and specialists could not ever figure out. They ran test after test and would prescribe several different medications to try and help with my symptoms but nothing ever worked. I missed a lot of school because of my health, and as you can imagine I missed out on a lot of normal things, especially normal things teenagers do. My parents never stopped trying to find the cause of my health problems, and for the longest time neither did I. However, the day that a doctor told me that I should probably see a psychiatrist because my symptoms might be emotional I gave up. That day changed me forever and I was never the same. I was fifteen when that happened, and with the decline in my health and with that being said to me my depression began. Around that time I was starting to have kidney … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Chronic Pain Stories Tagged With: ,

Charmaine’s Fight Like a Girl Story (Sickle Cell Anemia)

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May
22
2013
Burgundy Ribbon

Hi My name is Charmaine Washington, and I have Sickle Cell Anemia. Sickle cell anemia is an inherited, lifelong, serious disorder in which the body produces red blood cells with an abnormal, sickle shape, meaning they are shaped like the letter C. Though not a cancer, the treatment of sickle cell anemia is often similar to therapies used for blood-forming cancers such as leukemias and lymphomas. As a result, the condition may be treated in a cancer center. Some have come to believe that people with this disease will not live past 18. I am currently turning 19 in a few days and there are others out there who have lived past 18, but many have not. My goal is to become more supportive and start engaging in Sickle Cell Awareness and/or other diseases. So I would like it if you would go visit my page @www.facebook.com/AmericaAwareness. Charmaine California Submitted 8-20-2012 The informational content of this article is intended to convey a personal experience and, because … [Read more...]

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Claudette and her Families Fight Like a Girl Story (Breast Cancer and Lung Cancer)

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May
22
2013
Claudette's Story (Breast Cancer) LR

When our daughter Lori at the age of 34 was diagnosed with advanced breast cancer we were so frightened. Little did we know that our world would change just as hers had. Being that Lori lived in Alabama, I wanted to be able to help care for her much as possible. There were many trips, for surgery, chemo, radiation and stem cell rescue (which was the scariest of all). She is now an 11 year survivor. The cancer patient suffers the physical and emotional pain however the caregiver of a loved one shares in the mental anguish. We go through all the stages, fear, prayer, sometimes bargaining with God and then pleading for his help. I know this as I am a lung cancer survivor. My beloved sister Dorothy, at the age of 50 lost her battle with breast cancer. We spend 27 days at the hospital by her side, 24 hours daily. We were so afraid she’d be alone when she passed, we wanted to make sure that would not happen. After 27 days we were told we had two choices, put her in a nursing home or … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Breast Cancer Stories, Personal Power Stories Tagged With: , , ,

Kathy’s Fight Like a Girl Story (Breast Cancer)

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May
22
2013
Pink Ribbon

In May of 2011 at the young age of 49 I went for my yearly check up and mammogram. Everything came back normal, there was no sign of anything wrong. Four weeks later when I was doing my monthly breast exam myself I found a lump in my right breast. Needless to say my stomach dropped! I called my doctor that same day and told her what I found. I was in her office the next day and showed her what I found. She sent me to a surgeons office for an ultrasound and while I was there he did a needle biopsy. As soon as he put that needle in I knew something was wrong. I could feel the needle touch the lump and it felt gritty. Long story short, I had lumpectomy and it confirmed my biggest fears. On August 11,2011, I went through a double mastectomy. I went into this ready to fight and kick this cancers butt!! As I write this story I am cancer free! I went through the treatments that were needed. I found it early. I cannot stress enough how important it is to do self breast exams even … [Read more...]

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Veronica’s Fight Like A Girl Story (Multiple Sclerosis)

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May
22
2013
MS

Hi, I am sharing my life with multiple sclerosis. Back in 2004, I was pregnant. The pregnancy was going good until November 8 2004. I went into preterm labor at 7 1/2 months. They couldn’t stop labor, and my son Kyle was born. He was a beautiful baby boy born without lungs. He fought for 1 1/2 hours until he went to Heaven. That's when they told me my sugar was 974 when I was in labor. So they concluded I was a type 2 diabetic.  I took their pills, which was fine. Then a couple months passed. Depression settled in at full force and I was told I needed back surgery. I had calcified discs and when my neuro surgeon did an mri, he found 9 brain and 6 spinal cord lesions. He sent me to his friend, a neurologist, and I had the tests on my spinal tap. I was diagnosed with MS in Feb. 2005. I was watching my sugars and a year later, I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. I’m fighting two major monsters. My life is hard; being insulin dependent and having MS, but it’s a … [Read more...]

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